Cutting down a putter

[decipher_bass]

Ive got a Yes! Tracy putter I bought off ebay that i simply love, but its just too long at 35". Is cutting down a steel shaft as simple as it seems? I know it most definitely isnt that easy, but is it simple enough to do at home even for a noob at club work?

The regripping part i can do myself, never done a putter though, but i assume its the same

[Shorty]

I am not sure about doing it at home but I just had my putter cut and regripped this morning it too was too long for me so I had an inch taken off of it at the local shop it took the guy about 10 mins. from start to finish.

[pick-it-up]

Just get one of these from any hardware store:

http://www.golfsmith.com/products/858

Putting the grip on is the same as any other club. Though you may need to spend more time getting perfectly straight and aligned.

[RobinHunter]

Yes, it is as simple as it seems, especially steel shafts.

[decipher_bass]

would a miter saw with a metal cutting blade be the best way to go about cutting the steel shaft? or is that overkill?

[Chubbsco]

Originally Posted by decipher_bass

would a miter saw with a metal cutting blade be the best way to go about cutting the steel shaft? or is that overkill?

You can do that route, but I prefer the pipe cutter method.

GO to Home Depot or Lowes, plumbing department, and tell them you want a 3/4" pipe cutter. You want to get a bigger one because it will have a bigger knob to turn and put tension on the blade and the shaft.

It is a pretty simple procedure, and it will leave a nice clean cut, with the butt tip just barely curling inwards the cut.

I typically add some lead tape to the butt end to balance the putter out, I typically use the same weight as the weight of the piece of shaft I cut off. But then again, I have some nice scales at home where I can go to 1/100th of a gram, so it may not be possible for you to find out how much you cut off. But typically a strip or two will work.

Good luck, and any questions, just pm me.

[EddieC]

Tubing cutter is probably the cleanest route, however a hack saw would do the job. It's not as delicate as brain surgery. Remove the grip, cut to length and then re-grip it. Once it's regripped you'll be the only one that know's what tool you used to make the cut.

[mr_sooty]

I cut shafts with an angle grinder fitted with a cut-off wheel. Quick and easy.

[mcgolf]

If you are starting with nothing and will do this only a few times then the tubing cutter is the way to go from a time and dollars spent point of view.

[RobinHunter]

If you're going to really get into cutting shafts, especially graphite, I would recommend you find something with a pretty high rpm. I got a 7" chop saw (similar to what Golfworks has but for alot cheaper) that cuts at 10,000 rpm. If I hadn't found this, I would have went the route Mr. Snooty did and used the a 4" angle grinder.

[Sinsation]

i was planning on cutting down my putter with a dremel. my only concern is the regripping tho. how difficult is it? is it usually a tight fit? do you use glue or tape? can someone let me know?

[RobinHunter]

I used to use tape - not glue, never use glue. Somewhere in this forum is a thread about using an air compressor to put your grips on without tape. It looks super simple - provided you have an air compressor. But, re-gripping is easy and I would say it's not a tight fit, but rather a snug fit. Once you do it, you'll realize just how simple it is and you'll never again pay someone $10 per club to regrip your sticks.

[atm_73]

Originally Posted by Sinsation

i was planning on cutting down my putter with a dremel. my only concern is the regripping tho. how difficult is it? is it usually a tight fit? do you use glue or tape? can someone let me know?

I used my dremel one time to cut to length a driver shaft I installed. Worked pretty well. I use a tubing cutter, which I already had for steel shafts.

I would recommend using the compressor method to remove and re-install the grip. I have cut down two putters using the compressor, and was able to re-use the grip both times.

[decipher_bass]

I ended up using a black and decker dremel style tool to cut my first putter, it worked pretty well. I cut it and then used a grinder to get rid of the rough jaged edges. It turned out pretty good, now i just have to wait for my grips to get here from golf smith

[wb4tjh]

Recently I reshafted an entire set of irons and used a tubing cutter. It was super easy and left a nice, finished edge. What I like about this method, is that you always get a perfectly straight across edge, whereas with a hacksaw, you can get off the line of the cut and leave one side longer than the other. A tubing cutter costs 7 or 8 bucks and is well worth it for the finished results. Once you clamp it onto your cut mark, you can't go wrong. When doing a putter, forget that nonsense some people will tell you about "affecting the balance". An inch or two of the thin walled shaft doesn't weigh enough to notice by the time you get a new grip on it.

[jcgolfpro]

What was also mentioned about the tubing cutter that is a negative for pipe installers but a positive for us is the way the tubing cutter curls the edge in. It is a little safer without the sharp edge left with a 90 degree cut.

[jwaldrop]

Originally Posted by jcgolfpro

What was also mentioned about the tubing cutter that is a negative for pipe installers but a positive for us is the way the tubing cutter curls the edge in. It is a little safer without the sharp edge left with a 90 degree cut.

That's what I was thinking. Beats the heck out of the snagged edges I got with a hack saw once.

[chopdonkey]

I wouldn't add lead tape to the butt end. If anything, you should add it to the head because shortening your putter is going to decrease swing weight.

[Bill H.]

Steel shaft? Just a tube.

One of these is all you need. Take your time and a perfect cut will result. **Measure twice, cut once**

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

[LBlack14]

Harbor Freight. Got a 6" chop saw for around $30. You can get an Angle Grinder/Saw for $10-$20. Does the same job.

[Darth Fader]

Why not just grip further down the grip?

[OnePutt]

A chop saw is the best way to cut steel shafts. I've used tubing cutters. but a chop saw is much better and easier. I've also used a compressor to install grips. Works quite well, but not for a putter grip. With most grips, it can be out of alignment or twisted a little and not big deal. With a putter, you want the grip perfectly straight and aligned to the face. For this you need to be able to twist the grip a little after it's on, and before the solvent evaporates.